chapter 5 book notes nrm 420

Flashcards focused on the key concepts related to wilderness designation, management implications, and legislation that were discussed in the lecture.

What federal agency is primarily responsible for reviewing national forest lands for wilderness suitability according to the Wilderness Act?

U.S. Forest Service (USFS)

What was the role of the Secretary of Agriculture in the Wilderness Act?

Review all national forest lands that had been classified as primitive areas.

What were the three main controversies encountered during the wilderness designation process?

Criteria, Scope, Decision-making power.

What are the two money-related concerns the USFS had regarding designating land as wilderness in the 1960s?

Lost economic value from potential uses forgone and management costs for maintaining primitive conditions.

What three criteria did the USFS use to identify potential new wilderness areas?

Suitability, Availability, Need.

What does RARE stand for in the context of wilderness designation?

Roadless Area Review and Evaluation.

Are the objectives to 'disperse the future wilderness system as widely as possible' and 'locate new wilderness areas closer to densely populated areas' biocentric or anthropocentric?

Both objectives are anthropocentric.

Why would the FS have allocated more wilderness in the east if they had followed the RARE objectives closely?

The objectives stressed dispersing wilderness widely and placing some close to population centers, which matched eastern lands.

What are the components of the Quality Index used for ranking areas as suitable for wilderness?

S = Scenic quality, I = Isolation/visitor dispersion, V = Variety of wilderness experiences and activities.

Which component of the Quality Index is weighted the most heavily?

Scenic quality (S), since it is multiplied by 4.

What does the Effectiveness Index measure in the context of wilderness designation?

Effectiveness Index = Quality Index * Gross acres of roadless area.

What was a significant outcome of the Eastern Wilderness Act of 1975?

It created wilderness areas in the eastern U.S., disagreeing with the FS's interpretation regarding the size of the areas.

What key issue did the Endangered American Wilderness Act address?

It protected areas near population centers that still had wilderness character despite nearby human activity.

What are the four criteria established for RARE II in determining possible wilderness areas in the eastern U.S.?

No more than ½ mile of improved road per 1,000 acres, no more than 15% planted vegetation, no more than 20% timber harvested in past 10 years, and could contain a few hidden dwellings.